


Life, Death, and Unsettled

by MonsterGirlExaminer



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:03:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5477312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonsterGirlExaminer/pseuds/MonsterGirlExaminer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers for season 3 and beyond of Avatar.</p><p>Things Go Wrong. Heroes become villains. Someone’s true love becomes the only person who can defeat them. And sometimes a clown is the only one who can save the day. </p><p>When Korra loses her mind, twisted into anger and hatred by mercury poisoning, she turns on her friends, joining the Red Lotus. Bolin finds that his nearly unique abilities make him the only one who has a real chance at being able to stop her. The rest of the team is forced to scramble to limit the damage, while Bolin tries to come to terms with the idea that being the hero he’s always wanted to be might mean killing someone he cares about deeply.</p><p>Written for the Legend of Korra Big Bang 2015</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Opening Moves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Savorysavery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Savorysavery/gifts).



Chapter 1: Opening Moves

Bolin didn't know that history had shifted at the time. He, Mako, and Tonraq burst into the audience chamber. The lavabender criminal was laughing wildly. Chains hung from the wall, and a cauldron of bubbling magma was seething below them. Korra wasn't in the chains. She was in front of Zaheer. Massive green crystals stabbed out of the walls, glowing green in a sharp contrast to the red of the molten stone. They were sharp tipped cast a disgusting atmosphere over the room. Korra's skin was made pallid by the unhealthy light, like something dead and rotting. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, her hair hanging around her cheeks, matted and messy.

She was kneeling. Zaheer spoke, and Bolin couldn't hear him. She stood up. They'd learn more about it all, later on. About the strange interactions between the mercury and the Avatar State. The way it got inside her head. The way it changed her. The way it turned her into their enemy. All of that would be understood, in time. But right now, he shouted for her. "Korra!" Mako and Tonraq turned to him, eyes full of shock. Bolin realized, abruptly, that he shouldn't have opened his mouth. Zaheer turned towards them. There was no satisfaction on his face. Just a cold determination.

"A fortunate occurrence. Korra. Go kill them. Or get killed by them. I don't really care which." The airbender turned. "Let's leave them to it. If you survive, Korra, we'll have another mission for you, soon. The Earth Kingdom still needs to crumble." And with that, he drifted upwards. Bolin leapt, taking a wild swing at him, trying to grab hold of the terrorist, but the airbender fluttered around the blow. Bolin pivoted in the air, trying to hurl a piece of rock after the man with a swing of his fist, but it was like trying to knock a leaf out of the air. The bald bender simply swayed out of the way, like he was being propelled by the wind of the rock's passage. Bolin landed, catching himself by making the earth crumble and yield underneath him, softening his impact. He hopped to his feet as Mako and Tonraq slid down the side of the wall, and the three of them surrounded Korra. 

"Daughter... Please, you're safe now. We'll help you, we'll fix whatever has been done." Tonraq approached his daughter, his arms open. Bolin watched, his heart pounding. Korra wouldn't turn on them. She was one of the noblest, most decent people he'd ever met. He'd seen her resolve tested, but he had never seen her break. It was going to be okay. She was Korra. She could overcome anything.

There was a cracking of rock, as the ground underneath Korra tilted, and thrust forward. Her eyes glowing, she'd barely moved, just changing her stance. It propelled her towards her father. Slender fists that Bolin knew could strike like a sledgehammer landed in the older man's solar plexus and forehead. There was a sickening crack. He wasn't propelled backwards. The chief simply folded up like a ragdoll, lying on the ground. Bolin couldn't tell if he was still breathing.

Korra did a slow study of her surroundings. She looked at Bolin, and then deliberately turned to face Mako. Typical. Mako stood not quite on the other side of Korra. Against most enemies, they would stand side by side, to deflect and attack in turn. That wouldn't work against the Avatar. Anything they could throw, she could throw back tenfold. The two of them had no chance, normally. They would have to... He paused, and thought. This proved to be a mistake, as Korra stamped her foot. A boulder bigger than Bolin smashed up out of the earth, carrying smaller shards with it. Korra spun, and kicked, her smooth brown foot meeting the jagged stone. It flew at Mako, who dodged it with a desperate dive. Bolin's brother came up swinging, two blasts of fire jabbing out at the Avatar. She caught them on her hands, deflecting them to the sides, and Bolin barely avoided getting scorched as she sent one his way. 

Mako's hands glowed. The scent of ozone filled the air, as he drew them in a delicate pattern. The lightning flashed, and Korra charged at him. "Don't!" Bolin couldn't articulate it further. The glowing eyes, the avatar state. If Mako killed her in this state, it would kill the Avatar cycle. It would mean that Zaheer had won, for good. Mako seemed to come to the same conclusion, as he raised his hand towards the air. Lightning crackled and snapped off his fingers, stabbing into one of the glowing green crystals. Korra struck, twice. She wasn't using her bending directly. That well-toned body didn't need elemental powers to ruin a person. Mako fell to the ground, making bubbling noises, blood trickling down his lips.

The Avatar turned towards Bolin. He swallowed. He was a decent fighter. He was a bit of a showman. He was a thief. He was a rogue, he liked to think, at the best of times. He was a moderately competent lady's man. He was an earthbender.

He was a lavabender.

His eyes darted to Tonraq and Mako. He needed to get them to safety. Korra took two steps forward, and launched at him. He dodged to the side, falling into a quick roll, avoiding her charge. She changed courses in mid air, a gust of wind kicking up dust throughout the room as she leapt after him. He launched himself upwards with a pillar of rock, moving towards his brother, landing in a roll. He turned, and just as Korra was about to strike the pillar, he reached out. He thought of that smiling face of hers, the way she looked when she was at peace. Zaheer had stolen that. Rage flooded him.

The rock melted. Heat flooded through it, as the calm, serene earth became filled with the violent passion. He wasn't sure what made some people able to master some skills. Family lineage was tossed around a lot, and so was genetics. Certainly, some skills passed through families. The entire clan of metal-bending geniuses that was the Bei Fong family, for example. He liked to think that maybe, his lavabending was a part of his relationship with Mako. They both ran a bit hot under the collar at the best of times. That same passion could flood the earth, and turn the benign, gentle, supportive element into liquid death.

There was a cry of pain, and Korra recoiled from the heat. A grin spread across his face. "That's right! You might have metal, but I've got lava!" He gave her an arrogant smirk that had more confidence than he felt inside. He had to think of her as an enemy. Someone he was fighting. Not his friend. Not someone he would die to protect. "I'm betting you don't want to die, or you already would've thrown yourself into that pit. So, how about you just stay where you are!" He bent over his brother, pulling him off of the ground. Instinct made him dart out of the way as a blast of air whirled past, carrying a few red-hot drops of lava. Korra had sidestepped, and was charging at him again. 

This was going to get exhausting, quickly. It took passion to bend magma, a fury that Bolin was not entirely comfortable with. His foot struck the ground, and a large rock launched itself upwards. It shattered against the ceiling, and fragments rained down as Korra charged. He thought of the first time he had met her. How beautiful she had been. The crush on her that had been denied so quickly. He had liked her, but it never would have worked. The stones incandesced through cherry red, to white hot, and droplets of magma rained down. Korra darted back quickly, trying to deflect them with her airbending. Firebending would just make them worse, there was no water to be had in here, and her earthbending couldn't touch the superheated rock. She had no good technique to stop lavabending.

Bolin had a trump. He could beat the Avatar. The thought was overwhelming, and terrifying. He couldn't kill her. That gave her an advantage. He had to figure out some way to imprison her so she couldn't escape. At the very least, he had to make sure that she didn't die. He stomped three times, letting the stones fly into the air, and then pulled his hands down in a ferocious movement. More lava rained down, and Korra was held back. Those pretty blue eyes were nothing but white, now, glowing ferociously. She looked like a wild animal, fierce and tense. Part of him wondered if there was anything of her left. 

"Bolin- What in the hell are you doing!" He cast an eye over his shoulder. Asami, Suyin, Lin, and Opal stood behind him. They had their arms up. He heard a gasp, and turned just in time to catch the Avatar charging at him, throwing blasts of flame. He thought of Zaheer, fluttering just out of his reach, turning this kind-hearted girl into a machine meant to break people's faith. He let out a scream, and a wave of lava rushed up out of the earth, engulfing the blasts. Korra hopped back, and threw a blast of wind. Cinders rushed through his skin, stinging his cheeks as the magma settled into a stone wave.

His eyes flashed back. Opal's eyes were full of shock, the gentle girl's face terrified. "Lin! Suyin! Get them out of here! I can hold her back, I might have a chance-" He turned back when he saw their expressions. Two quick blows struck his stomach, and he bent forwards. A fist caught him on the chin. His teeth cracked together, and there was an unpleasant crunching noise. He stared into those glowing eyes. They had been such beautiful blue eyes.

Bolin wasn't as good a bender as his brother. He'd always known that. But where Mako's slim, agile frame was built for firebending, Bolin had the earthbender's solid form. His feet never left the ground. Even with his brains rattling in his skull, his arms went on automatic. He wrapped them around the Avatar. She opened her mouth, fire glowing in her mouth. His head, tilted back from the uppercut, came forward. His forehead crashed into hers.

It was always a tricky move. You had to angle it just right. There was a crack as he struck her nose, and she stumbled back, blood streaming out of her nostils, grabbing her face. She had such a beautiful nose. He whispered a soft apology, and kicked the earth. A flood of magma flowed upwards, out of the cracks in the ground, leaping up as if to embrace Korra like a lover. She darted back, hopping on the balls of her feet. She was out of the way. Suyin and Lin were right behind him. He saw immediately what they were planning, as Lin thrust her hand out. "Wait-" The metal whip struck out, fast as lightning. Korra caught it in one hand, her other fist up. With a shout, she yanked, trying to pull Lin in for a murderous blow. Bolin's mind flashed back to Korra in the bending tournament, saving their ass, protecting them. Their embarrassing losses. Her helping them, keeping them afloat. All of those happy memories dying because a madman thought the world deserved chaos.

Liquid fire erupted out of the ground. Magma lapped at the steel. Lin stumbled forward slightly, as Korra fell backwards, the metal stretching and snapping under the tension from both sides, heat weakening it. He panted. "You need to get them out of here. She's in the Avatar State, she's really strong, and I might have just the barest chance at keeping her stymied-" Korra paced like a hungry wolf, watching him. He bobbed from foot to foot. He was so damn tired. His head was aching. All of this anger, all of the fury, it was burning him out. He wasn't an angry person. He loved people. He loved Korra, even if she wasn't ever going to love him in quite the same way. He loved Opal, who had looked at him with such a shock in her eyes. He loved his brother, lying unconscious on the floor. He loved the chief of police, standing at his side, looking shocked to see the words come out of Bolin's mouth. He didn't want to hate anyone. Korra charged, and he thought of the journey out, to find the airbenders. The blessing Korra had given the world, that a bad man had turned into a curse on every living soul. 

He charged forward, past Lin and Suyin. Magma surged up behind him, forming a wall. Before it could cook his friends, it froze, an obsidian-flecked wall of granite. Blocking off the enemy from reaching his friends, keeping his friends from becoming a liability against the enemy.

He'd just locked himself into a cavern, with a single exit that was straight up thirty or forty feet, with an enraged and bloodthirsty Avatar in the Avatar State. He was probably going to die today. Well, at least he'd die doing what he loved. Performing impossibly idiotic actions out of some misplaced sense of duty and bravery. He concentrated on her. His head throbbed. He remembered watching the spirits try to cut her throat, so that chaos would rule the world, bringing ten thousand years of darkness.

The floor of the room turned to lava. He stepped sideways, allowing the magma to solidify below his feet, turning to simple rock again, while keeping her trapped on a small circle of stone. She waved a hand, gusts of air solidifying parts of the floor, but she had to step quickly, and keep one hand down at all times. A roiling mass of superheated air spun in the room above them, beginning to draw in the debris on the ground. Green crystals fell out of the walls, tumbling into the magma, drawn into the current of the stuff, swirling around them. The light of the glowing rock flickered through the crystals, and created strange, scintillating patterns, smeared across the walls as the crystals danced.

He gritted his teeth, and shouted, above the sound of crystals grinding against patches of the floor "Can you even still hear me?! You're the strongest, most confident person I've ever met, Korra! Even when you're shaken, you're still amazing! You make everyone else stronger around you! You're the first person, my brother included, who ever thought I was anything but a screwup! What did that bastard do to you, to make you do all of this? What the hell could he possibly show you that would make you-"

"I'm. Going to die." Her voice came slowly, haltingly. It sounded like she was speaking from a great distance, struggling to make every word heard. "Not strong enough. Not good enough. I. Deserve to die. The avatar state. Deserves to die. It's going to happen. I've been cutting corners. Closer and closer. Getting closer to death. It's going to happen." She lunged at him, and he reflexively changed the magma to stone under her feet, before she could burn herself to death on the ground. "I'm not. Strong!" She landed two ringing blows on his arms, as he brought them up. Lightning crackled on her fingers. His arms spread, opening himself to the lightning strike. He wasn't sure why he did it. A part of him would later think it was a deathwish. Another part of him was sure she would never do it. Even broken, even twisted, the Korra he knew wouldn't kill him. And just for a moment, she hesitated. Then, she lifted her arms, the lightning crackling into the air. "Stupid!" She lashed out, and her fist struck him in the center of the forehead. His world rang like a bell, as he stumbled backwards. "Brainless!" Another blow landed on his solar plexus, a left hook that lifted him off his feet by an inch. "Cowardly!" A fist collided with his cheek, knocking him in a circle. "Thief!" Her fist landed on his chin, and brought him in a slow arc, up, and then down. He spiraled through the air.

He had just enough left in him to think of her. The smiling face when she'd introduced him to Naga. The floor solidified into earth underneath him, and he fell onto the scaldingly hot ground. The world went dark as the Avatar flew upwards, through the same hole Zaheer had used to escape.

Consciousness returned. As happened all too often, it returned sharply, with a bucket of ice water dumped over his face. Bolin gasped, and sat up. Tonraq was sitting next to him. Bandages were wrapped around his chest, and his forehead, but he was up. Mako was sitting nearby, too. They were on one of the airships. Asami was standing with Suyin, Lin, and Jinorra, all of them looking concerned. "What? I got something on my face?" He was surprised how weak his voice was. He reached up, and felt gauze across his nose and forehead. "Oh. Who put that there?" He smiled. It hurt like hell. He could taste a bit of blood on his tongue. "Korra-"

Lin frowned. "Gone. Fled after Zaheer and his cronies in the Crimson Lotus. She didn't look good. We think..." She turned to Suyin.

"They had mercury prepared. They were trying to use it to force her into the Avatar State. It's a very nasty hallucinogenic toxin. The Avatar State is keeping it from killing her. But the tabula rasa of the Avatar State and the delerious effects of the mercury have reacted strangely with her. They're making her insane. They're going to use her to attack, again and again. She's the perfect weapon. Powerful, to the point of being nearly unstoppable. Loyal, at least in her own focused way. And completely expendable. If she dies in the Avatar State, fighting one of us, then Zaheer and the Crimson Lotus get what they want. It's-"

"I can stop her. I /did/ stop her. I held her off. She can't lavabend. Are there... I mean, there have to be other Lavabenders, right?"

Mako was sitting up. Asami frowned, leaning against the wall. Tonraq looked between them, and then spoke. "Kid. Of the thousands, maybe tens of thousands of Earthbenders known, you know how many are Metalbenders, right?"

Bolin flushed. Memories of training, which hadn't borne any fruit. "Yeah. About one in a hundred, for having any kind of talent."

"Well, I know of maybe half a dozen people who have ever been lavabenders. Three of them were Avatars. Of the two lavabenders living today, the other one is... a merciless killer. It is a power associated with incredible rage, with a nearly uncontrollable amount of anger. Frankly..." Tonraq rubbed his head. "It doesn't suit you in the least. The fact that you can use it scares the hell out of me. It's not a technique that's mastered by many people. There're no formal schools. It's really not a power that any non-Avatar is supposed to have. It's one of those abilities that's hard to prepare for, because there aren't many people who use it. It's strong, but..." Tonraq sighed. "Kid. I loved those movers of yours. But you can't stop Korra without killing her. I'm not sure anyone can. I think..." He looked down. "I think my daughter's going to-"

"We can't just accept that!" Bolin stood up. Mako reached out to push him back down towards the bed, and the young earthbender fended him off. "She's our friend! She's lost, and alone, and twisted, and we're going to help her! We're not going to just let her die! Look- They said they were going to the Earth Kingdom, right? Ba Sing Se's in ruins, but Omashu's the next biggest city. That's where they're going to go next if they want to sow chaos in the biggest cities. Maybe they'll even waste time cutting a path towards Omashu, hitting targets of opportunity." He was rambling. He was no strategist. He took a deep breath. "I think... I think Korra's still got some control. She could have killed me easily if she wanted. She could have killed all of us. It would've been a snap for her. She didn't. She's not trying to kill us. I'm not sure what she wants, but..."

"And, not to put too fine a point on it, we can't kill her." Asami spoke softly. The girl was dressed in her jacket, her hair looking a bit less perfect than it usually did. The low hum of the engines was constant, filling the silence as Asami looked around the room. "Not just for personal reasons. But if the Avatar dies in the Avatar State, we lose the spirit of balance in the world. It would mean... Well, quite frankly, it would probably mean the end of the world. Maybe not today, but it would cast everything into chaos." She sighed. "But capturing the Avatar live is going to be nearly impossible. And even if we can..." She looked at Suyin and Lin. "Is there any chance that we can cure her? That we can get the poison out of her?"

Suyin and Lin exchanged a look. The matriarch of the Bei Fong family sighed. "Yes. Its presence in her system is persistent. if it were a normal poison, it would already have burned out of her system. The metallic nature keeps it embedded in her organs, continuing to effect her for long periods of time. But if we could incapacitate her and operate on her very quickly..." She sighed. "We could save her. There's a chance, at least." She looked down at her hands. "We don't have long, though. At most... A month, before the poison kills her? Less depending on how hard she's fighting. If we can't..."

"Lavabending is good at keeping her in one place. Waterbending can stop it, but only very temporarily. Airbending can cool it, but it can barely move it. Firebending is totally useless against it. Even normal earthbending gets stymied by it. It's- hard. Like, you would not believe how hard it is." He shuddered. "But it's good at area denial. I can hem her in. I can trap her. And that means... This is a game. It's like Pai Sho, or Go, or Chess. The key is to control the terrain, to trap her in one place. Not to kill her, but to put her in a situation where she's immobilized. And if we know she won't try to kill us, that gives us an advantage. We just need to put her in checkmate."

Mako frowned. "Most of us aren't going to be much good for that, then. She can manipulate our elements, and probably better than we could, while she's in the Avatar State. She's stronger than we can be. So-"

"Preparation. We wire the city up. Lure her into traps. We can stack the deck against her, to get her vulnerable. If we've got everything in place, then..." He looked around the group. "We owe it to her to try to save her. She's done so much for us, and she's scared. She's sure she's going to die, and she thinks that she's failed as an Avatar. We've got to save her!"

Nobody met his gaze, except for Asami. The green-eyed girl laughed into her hand, and a blush spread across Bolin's face. "I'm sorry, Bolin. It's just... You sounded quite cool there." She looked around at the others. "I have a proposal. We split into two groups. Bolin and I try to harry Zaheer and the Avatar, spending their energy while trying to intercept them on the way to Omashu. Get an idea for how well they can fight, and slow them down. The rest of you, make for Omashu as fast as possible, and start setting up traps, deadfalls, ways to stop her. That city is one of the greatest military fortresses of the Earth Kingdom. If we can pin them down there, we have a genuine chance." She cast a look over the group. "He's right. Korra has done a great deal for us all, and I think we can save her. To do any less would be a disservice to everything she's fought for." 

Tonraq stared for a few seconds. "If you two think for a moment that you can actually save my daughter, I would be... very grateful." His voice was hoarse. 

Mako nodded. "She deserves that much from us, at least."

Suyin smiled wanly. "I cannot promise, even if we can incapacitate her, that I will be able to save her. But I will do my best."

Lin sighed. "I suppose it would be the best thing. With some metal, we can set up pitfalls, net traps. They won't hold down the Avatar for long, but..." She looked over at Asami. "Can that taser glove of yours put down the Avatar without killing her?"

Asami looked down at the glove, hanging from her jacket. "It's got to be worth a shot, right?" She smiled. "We'll get aboard the skiff. The rest of you can head towards Omashu. We'll keep in touch with the radios. And... Good luck, everyone." She smiled. Bolin stood up, shaking his head. His jaw was still sore, but there was no time to lose.

"Oh, hey... Is Opal still aboard?" he asked, hopefully, looking towards Suyin. Her apologetic expression told him everything he needed to know. He rubbed his head. It was too much to hope that she'd want to see him. What must have he looked like, screaming wordless defiance, making the earth crack and melt? Probably nothing she wanted to see again. "Yeah. I, uh. Yeah." He grinned. "Well, no time to lose, right? Got to go be the hero." He stood up. "We can do this, you guys. We've got to. There's..." He swallowed. "There's no other choice."

An hour later, Asami stood by the control panels. She checked the navigation systems, the map, and the instruments. Bolin had a book open. Strategies and methods of Pai Sho, advanced Go, Chess strategies. "So, lava. You think you can really use it to trap the Avatar? Are you sure she's not going to just use it back?" Asami asked, voice distracted, as he read on strategy. 

"If she could, she would've. It takes- I mean, it's really draining. I have to get incredibly angry. Just build it up until it burns inside of me, and then use it to melt things. You've got to push all of that energy into the rock, until the heat inside of you is hot enough to melt the rock. If she could do that, she wasn't. Maybe it's just me." Bolin sighed. "It's about controlling space. When it's become magma, it takes a lot of effort for Korra to change it back to rock. And while it's magma, she can't use it. It neutralizes her firebending and her earthbending pretty effectively. Her airbending can still do something, and waterbending could be a pain in the ass, but otherwise, it's a real way to hem her in. Her biggest advantage is mobility, after all. It's all about taking away her options, like in Go. And like in Chess, I've got to get her to make a blunder." He looked up. "... Do you really think I can do it, Asami?" he asked, frowning.

Asami smiled softly. "I've seen you achieve amazing things, Bolin. You've helped save my company, and fought alongside the Avatar. And you've apparently got a talent for heroism. Maybe it's what you were really meant to do." She studied him slowly. "You know how I feel about Korra?" He stared blankly for a few moments, and then recognized the look in her eyes. Then he flushed.

"I, uh. I didn't know, at least not until now. You, uh. Really feel that way about her?" Asami nodded. "Well. Cool! Great! I always thought you two made a great pair. And, um." Thoughts flooded his head. There was a little jealousy there, but it was like when Mako and Korra had been together. Asami and Korra were a good pair. He felt the heat inside of him bubbling up, and forced it down. Why would it make him angry? To know how much his friends loved each other? What was wrong with him? "We'll save her. You deserve to have one another." He nodded his head firmly, swallowing hard. His throat felt dry. There was a lump in it. Asami stared at him for several long seconds, and he averted his eyes. He couldn't meet her gaze. She might see the reluctance in him. The jealous little heat that was choking him. She smiled, and he felt the breath return to him. 

"I believe in you. Nuktuk." She giggled softly, and his face went blood red, heat flooding his cheeks as he was reminded of the outfit. Of Ginger. Of a whole hell of a lot of embarrassing choices in his life. And of saving the president of the Republic from a plot. "Now. Let's work on your Pai Sho. It's all about strategy. Seeing the moves that could be taken. In a bending fight, there's not much time to choose, so we're going to play speed-Pai-Sho." She smiled. "Working to your strengths. No thinking... a whole lot of doing." 

The two of them took a seat. The airship's cabin was cramped, barely ten feet on a side. Night was falling, and a small electric lamp buzzed merrily above them, casting yellow light over the board. "You're not a terrible player. But you need to be better than you were when we last played. You need to see the chances unfolding in front of you. You need to be able to read the path of the game." She began spreading the pieces across the board. "Every game, you learn a little bit more about your opponent. Korra may be acting oddly, but she's still the same person. Think about what you know about her. Learn to react to her movements."

The two of them sat across from one another, placing their tiles down. "The tiles starting position represent your preparation beforehand. All the ways you can make your environment more advantageous." She moved the tiles. "Take the initiative. You go first. You have to be the one to make the first strike, so that every time she takes an action, she is reacting, rather than acting. You fought well against her in the cave, but she was the one dictating the pace of the fight. You let her run it. You can't do that, because if you're making choices in reaction to her attacks, then she's going to be able to predict your actions much easier." He listened intently.

Throughout his life, Bolin had taken very few things seriously. Even probending, even the movers, even heroism. He'd joked, he'd laughed, he'd smiled, and he hadn't tried as hard as he could've because he was afraid, deep down inside, that he would try with all of his might, and fail. That his best wouldn't be good enough. If he gave less than his best, he could always shrug and smile it off. He looked up at Asami. Her soft, green eyes were on the board. There were tears in them. She was thinking about Korra.

He couldn't slack this time. He owed it to Asami for thinking he could do it. He owed it to Korra. He felt the heat in his mind, growing fierce, the rage. And he did his best to keep thinking, despite the haze.


	2. Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bolin and Asami keep Korra and the Red Lotus on their toes, while the rest of the team regroups and prepares a trap. Will they succeed? Try to guess from the fact that this is the second of three chapters.

Chapter 2: Check

Five times they clashed with Korra on the long trip south. Each time, it ended in stalemate. Keeping the Avatar pinned down was an incredibly difficult task, especially in the open environments of the Earth Kingdom cities. But each time, he made it a few more moves before Korra escaped. Each time, the burning inside of him came a little bit easier. Each time, she was getting weaker. Her movements were getting slower. If she were at full strength, he knew that he'd never stand a chance. But every day, she was getting clumsier. The poison must have been working well. It stung a bit to think that he only stood a chance because she was being crippled by the mercury inside of her. But she was the Avatar, after all. He'd take any advantage he could.

Bolin and Asami sat across from one another, as they played Pai Sho. They played a lot of games in their spare time, games of strategy. Figuring out one another's style. Each time he fought Korra, now, Asami was there, watching from the darkness. She was an excellent fighter, but she was more vulnerable than Korra to lavabending. She couldn't mix it up with Korra when there was lava bubbling around them. What she could do was wait for the perfect moment to save the girl they both loved. Bolin tried not to let the burn inside of him show.

He'd always wanted to be the one to save Korra. In the hope, futile though it was, that it might show her he was worth loving. It was a stupid, childish thing to want. She loved who she loved, and that wasn't going to be him, no matter what he did. All he could do was concentrate on saving her for her own sake. "Bolin? Are you there?" He looked up. Asami was smiling softly, those red-painted lips warm. She still looked as amazing as ever. "You've been staring at the pieces for the last five minutes." She was a good Pai Sho player. A bit conservative with her movements, predictable at the higher levels. God, it was strange to think like that. He rubbed a hand through his hair.

"Just thinking about Korra." He traced a finger over the board. Bubbling red-hot stone played in front of his eyes. The last time had been close. He'd managed to lure Korra into one of the city apartments, cutting her off from escape. Asami had been waiting inside. They'd nearly had her, when that lavabender of Zaheer's had broken into the fight. Bolin had been able to fend him off, but it had given Korra enough time to make her escape. There wouldn't be any such chance in Omashu. Zaheer and his Crimson Lotus would be busy with the others. Just him, Korra, and Asami. "You know, the first time I ever met her, she was fresh in Republic City, trying to catch a Pro Bending match?" Asami smiled indulgently. "You know the story, don't you."

"Yes, but I like to remember good times. Go on. Tell me about it." Bolin smiled, as he shifted a piece. Natural Harmony showed on the board. Two points. He was doing well this match. He always seemed to do a little better when he thought about Korra. He tried to ignore the lava creeping in at the edge of his perceptions.

"So, there she is. One of the most beautiful Water Tribe girls I've ever met in my life. Not some willowy thing, she was tough as a tigerdillo. She's arguing with the gym owner, saying that she was looking for a bathroom, and I swagger in, like a big man, and say she's with me. And the very first thing she does, she says not like a boyfriend, just like friends." He grinned nostalgically as he placed a tile. "She always knew how to cut a guy off at the knees. And here I was, making a regular fool of myself in the pro bending arena, while Mako clinches the match for us. He always knew how to get things done. And she fell for him." He looked up, and coughed, as Asami raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry. That was, uh. Hah. Boy. Mako sure has a way with women." 

Asami smiled. "Maybe he just helped us see the things in each other that he liked, too. If it wasn't for him, I never would have met you two. It was a bit hard at the time, but looking back, I wouldn't trade the failed relationships for anything. And I'm glad you approached her. She needed you two."

Bolin snorted. "Not half as much as we needed her. She was always saving my ass from my own stupid mistakes. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. She's..." He looked up, and looked back down, to escape Asami's large, curious eyes. "I guess I'm still trying to make up for making an idiot out of myself in front of her." He reached down, picking up his cup of water.

"You know, Bolin, you told me that you use emotions to bend lava. What exactly are you thinking of that makes you so... hot?" Bolin choked, spat out his mouthful of water, and ruined a very good haircut. Asami coughed, wringing the water out of her hair. "Heated, I think, might have been the right word there. You get... Well, a little bit frightening, when you're lavabending. That look on your face." Bolin remembered the look on Opal's face. "So what goes through your head to make earth turn to magma?"

"I... Well, I try to think of things that make me feel. Well. Angry. Really angry. So angry I want to make things burn." He shuddered. "It's not a very happy feeling. I don't care for what it does to my mindset, either. I'm supposed to be the happy, grinning clown, you know? Mako's the dark avenger type." He slid the Boat tile forward, hopping several tiles in a row. "I was always happier being the goofball. Being angry is hard work."

"You still haven't answered my question. What do you think of that makes you so angry?" He looked down. He couldn't meet her eyes.

"Korra, usually. More and more, I think about you, too." He looked up. The shock in her eyes was exactly what he'd been worrying about. "Not that way. It's not you being together that makes me angry. It's..." He took a deep breath. The sight of her hair, blowing in the wind as she airbent. The smile on Asami's face as she kept an eye on the Avatar's back. "All the beautiful moments Zaheer stole from us. If I fail, we don't just lose the future. He taints the past, too. All those good things that happened, all those happy memories, they'll become a part of the failure. I can't fail this time." He jumped a tile.

Asami looked down at the table. "That's your win, I think." Her voice was soft. "I don't think you have that much anger in you, Bolin. Even about the bad things. I-" She looked up. "We're here." There was the sound of commotion outside of the airship. 

"What is that?" There were screams, and shouts, and roars of crowds. "Did they get here before us?" He ran to the window, and stared out at the throngs. The mountain city was full of people. They were cheering. "I don't get it. What are they all doing?"

"Bolin. For the past week, you have been fighting a running battle with a possessed, maddened Avatar, standing up against the anarchists who murdered the Earth Queen, and protecting the free world from destruction. They're cheering for the hero." He stared out at them. He should feel elated. He loved playing the hero. Hearing people cheer for him. He loved making the world feel like there was something half good out there. But it felt hollow. He wasn't the hero. He was comic relief. "They believe in you." He felt tears running down his cheeks. He reached up, and wiped them away with his sleeve.

"Come on. We're going to get the lay of the land." He turned towards her, the tears gone. He gave her his biggest, broadest grin. His cheeks hurt. "Let's go meet the admiring public, get in touch with the rest of Team Avatar, and-" Chaos erupted. There was an explosion, and a rumble. Lava was pouring down one of the earthbending channels that transported goods through the city. A tornado was ripping through the air. And there- A flash of white light. "I'm going to channel her towards the top of the city. Most of the traps are in the caves underneath the palace, right? Follow when you can, I'll try to make sure she can't escape." With that, he leapt out of the airship. 

They were skimming the rooftops, only ten feet above, and the tiles rose up to meet him, easing his landing. He dropped and rolled, and hopped down to the street. The lavabending bastard was engaged in a fight against Tenzin, Lin, and Suyin. Mako and the airbenders were dealing with that waterbender and Zaheer. And Korra- She was looking straight at him. As he ran towards her, she rushed towards one of the earthbending channels. A kick dislodged the crate from the large stone platform. Then, with an uppercut, the platform surged up the channel, tearing it apart behind her. Bolin stopped in his tracks, skidding to a halt on the roof tiles. Act, don't react. If she was going up, it was worrying. She was playing right into his plan, and she had no reason to do that. He checked the channels, and leapt into one of the open grooves, bending out a stone disk from the wall. He followed her, swinging his arms upwards. She couldn't know about the traps that had been set for her. But she could suspect them. Why was she heading somewhere she could lose?

He arrived at the top of the plateau, seconds after her. A large hole was visible, dust still settling at its edges, in the ground. Leading deeper into the mountain, beneath the palace. He leapt after her, into the darkness of the mountain's passages. "Why are you still following me, Bolin?" Her voice drifted out of the darkness from around him. He stopped for a moment, his hands up. "Still pursuing me. Don't you realize how pointless it is?" He turned quickly. He'd been sure the sound had come from behind him. But there was nothing there, in the darkness. 

Her voice sounded weak, but more certain. It almost sounded like Korra again. But it was hoarse. So rough and grating, it sounded like it hurt her just to speak.

"Korra. You're still in there. You haven't killed anyone. You're still the hero, and you don't want to do this. We still need you! You can't die like this!" His words were swallowed up in the darkness. He tapped his foot, and tried to focus on the sensations that returned. He'd never been good at seeing with his feet. He kicked off both shoes, and tapped his heel into the ground. He still couldn't feel her. If she was airbending, she wouldn't even have to touch the ground.

"You know I was never going to love you back. You kept trying to impress me, even though it was futile. Aren't you sick of trying to catch up with me? Even if you saved me. Do you think you and I were ever going to have a happy ending together?" He recoiled, stung. Had he been that obvious? Of course he had, he was mister obvious. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath. 

"I'm not fighting for my happy ending, Korra. I'm fighting for yours. You're not going to die like this. I'm not going to let Zaheer win like that. I'm going to beat you. And then, we're going to fix you. You're going to live a long, happy life, and probably make Asami a very happy woman." Flame flared into life behind him, casting his shadow across the wall, and he felt the footsteps. He dodged to the side as Korra swung a fist, fire raising off of it. She was slowing. Her nose was slightly crooked from the headbutt, and her eyes were glowing in the darkness, heavy bags around them. Her reflexes were slowing. The poison, and fatigue. And he was getting faster, and faster. A grin split her face.

"You think that you can beat me? Half dead from mercury poisoning, unable to sleep, you're still nothing in front of me." She darted forward, her fists flashing forward. He swept his arms around, catching her wrists. Her hands were shaking. The room they'd set up was nearby. His right foot slammed down, making the floor heave violently, tilting underneath them, and throwing them into the wall. His fist struck the wall before they reached it, and the barrier shattered. The two of them hit the ground, rolling, and her foot found his ribs, sending him sprawling across the ground. He popped back up to his feet instantly, dancing on his feet. "Do you remember when you taught me how to dance like that?" she hissed, pulling herself to her feet. She hadn't said three words to him in the last five days, and now she was full of talk. But he smiled right back.

Light shone down from above, illuminating dozens of cables. They glittered silver-gray in the air, thick and braided. They painted the ground with a spiderweb of shadows, creating strange patterns as the darkness fell over Korra, interspersed with light. Her skin was slightly pale, as she looked up for a moment, then back at him. "Do you expect those to be of any use against me? How are you going to-" She realized it even as he smiled. The sight of the summer sun, falling on her skin, illuminating her. Color in her cheeks, the bright warmth of her lips pursed together, a pout on her face as he made a joke. A bright contrast to what she looked like now.

A half dozen rocks dislodged from the walls, carrying three wires with them. A sweep of his hands made them swirl around, spinning rapidly. Before the Avatar could stop their spin, he reached out, and the rock turned to magma. Three wires, spinning rapidly, descended on the avatar. She leapt forward, kicking one foot into the air. The wires snagged around the leg, rapidly spiralling in. She let out an agonized cry as the white-hot tips struck her flesh. Bolin hurt inside to see her stumble as she came back up to her feet. She was barely keeping upright, as she stood up. "Give up, Korra. Just stand down, and come back to us. Your father misses you. Tenzin's worried sick. Asami's-"

She stamped her wounded leg down. Her foot crushed the floor underneath them. They tumbled down into the darkness, and landed in something wet. He leapt up to his feet quickly. Korra had a grin on her face, feral, and savage. "Nuktuk the hero, huh?" she asked, the grin becoming a sneer. "Did you think that you'd pick up girls by pretending to be the hero? Did you think that somehow, someone would fall in love with you if you could just manage to not screw things up, for once in your life?" She reached down, balls of water gathering in her hands. She swung forward, and water lashed at him, knocking the wind out of him. She reached down, and pulled the water up into a ball. It wrapped around his head. His eyes stung as it swirled. The world went black. Asami appeared in front of him. Her lips moved soundlessly. They pleaded with him. He reached up, and the ceiling turned to magma.

The look of shock on the Avatar's face would haunt him for a long time. She reached down. They were standing in one of the city's cisterns. She gathered the water, and hurled it upwards. It met the falling rush of magma, and evaporated. Hot steam filled the cistern, scalding the skin, making him sweat, as the magma turned into raw stone. He melted it again. The ceiling fell further. The magma filled the top of the cistern now, as Korra launched another wave upwards. The magma was twelve feet away. She froze it. He thought of Asami. The magma was ten feet away. Eight. They were both crouching, now, as the heat grew unbearable, steam writhing around them. "Just pass out, you stupid stubborn pain in the ass." He grumbled. There was no water left. Just dense, writhing steam. Then, Korra fell forwards, sprawled onto the ground. The glow went out of her eyes.

"Can't hold it back. For long." she muttered. "Now. Just kill me." Her voice was so weak. "Avatar state's held back. I only have a few seconds. Kill me. Now. Please!" she begged. He stared down at her. He raised his hand. He thought of Asami, and Korra, their smiles. He stared down at those soft blue eyes. They were still as entrancing as they'd been in the gym. 

He reached out. It would've been so easy. He could heal her right now. If he could metalbend. He could tie her up, all on his own, and save her. If he could metalbend. If he were like the one in a hundred. If he were good enough. With the lava, all he could do right now was kill her while she was helpless. He reached out, resting his head on her forehead. He could feel the impurities in the mercury. He could feel it writhing and seeping deeper into her organs, her bones. He could feel the sickness inside of her. He closed his eyes. With the greatest delicacy, he reached out, and tried to move the mercury.

It didn't even budge.  
Then the door in the cistern opened, and Asami was standing there, her glove charged and crackling with electricity. Steam rushed out, the temperature in the small room dropping rapidly.

Korra's eyes flared bright again. White light filled them. She stood up, and a hand windmilled across Bolin's jaw. He spun back, barely keeping his footing on the slippery floor. Asami charged at the Avatar, and Korra deflected two strikes with her wrist, avoiding the snapping, popping glove. The steam must have been making it difficult to see.

Korra reached up, and punched a hole through the rock ceiling with one hand. She scrambled upwards, and Bolin ran after her, grabbing hold of the rock. He couldn't stop her with lavabending- Any magma he brought down on her could kill her. He had hesitated. He'd had a chance to preserve the avatar cycle, and to take away Zaheer's final victory, and he'd been unable to go through with it. He had to make this right. "Asami! On my back!" The girl jumped on, her arms going around his throat. He scrambled upwards, pulling himself up the rocks. She wasn't going to get away. He scrambled up the rocks, fingers digging in, as he pulled himself upwards. Asami's wrists locked around his throat, pulling tight against it. She was so warm. He pulled himself free of the hole, the chiaroscuro light pouring down. Korra was leaping between the wires, propelling herself with the jets of flame from her feet. The rock under his feet lurched, as he bent into a low crouch. His knees buckled as it propelled him upwards. He struck one of the platinum wires, and Asami let out a cry as she tightened her arms around him.

It was intentional. He pulled himself up onto the wire, balancing, barely, as Korra ascended skywards. He drew both hands over his head until they struck together. The rock securing both ends of the platinum wire arced upwards, crashing above his head, dust raining down. Then, he pulled his hands apart sharply. The rocks launched away from one another, dragging the wire with them. The wire rocketed upwards, going tense beneath his feet, and launched him skyward, like the world's largest slingshot. It wasn't going to be enough. "Jump off!" Asami caught his meaning instantly. She scrambled up his shoulders. He felt her heel dig into him as she launched after Korra. He fell into the side of the hole, skull ringing as his fingers dug in. He looked up.

Asami was still accelerating. She was inches away from Korra, her glove crackling. She reached out, and her fingers came within inches of the bare brown skin. Her hand swung, and missed by a fraction of an inch, a little electric arc tingling on Korra's foot as she rocketed away. Asami was falling back towards the pit, her arms reaching out desperately. Korra looked back for a second. Just a second. Then she turned, and the flames grew larger, propelling her down towards the chaos at the base of Omashu. Platinum glittered on her leg, glowing and shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Asami's arms windmilled as she fell.

Bolin kicked himself off of the wall. The wall pushed out with him, increasing his speed. He intercepted Asami, and landed among the wires. Hard, but not so hard that he couldn't recover from it. Asami was staring upwards, wordless, her eyes open, tears running out of them, reaching towards Korra. And he passed out, feeling the exhaustion falling over him. He'd been so close. So close to winning. He lay, hanging in the wires, Asami's soft body wracking with sobs as she lay on top of him, her sleeve over her eyes.

"You let her escape?!" Lin shouted. Tenzin, Suyin, Lin, and Tonraq were all standing in the cabin of the airship. "She dropped the Avatar State- no doubt at great personal cost- giving you a chance to put her down, to save the Avatar state, and her legacy, and thwart Zaheer's plans, and you couldn't do it?!" He stared down at his own hands.

"She dropped the Avatar state, willingly. She's still got a chance. I can't believe you would-" Asami had started. She was standing behind him.

"How much time can she have?" Tenzin said, softly, his face creased with worry. Bolin could swear there was more grey in the beard than there had been a week ago. "The mercury must be wreaking havoc on her. How long could someone stay themselves under a strain like that? And we still can't be sure where they will go, next. We may have failed Korra." 

Suyin frowned. "They've struck twice at the Earth Kingdom. They didn't manage to kill the king here, but the city is in chaos. Nobody feels safe. The next large city that they could target is either the Southern Water Tribe, or..." 

Tonraq shook his head. "They'll be going for Republic City. Korra doesn't have long, and she's getting weaker. They have to know that. They're going to go for the biggest splash they can. Kill or kidnap the president, bring Republic City to its knees. We need to race them there, and they're not going to take it slowly this time. They managed to capture one of the airships while making their escape. We're on our way, now. And the next time, Bolin, when you have the chance-"

"I won't kill her. I'm not going to kill her. She might be weak, she might be suffering, but she's still there! She was willing to die for all of our sakes! But we can't let her!" He sat up, and the world spun around his head. It hurt so damn much, deep down inside. "We're going to save her from Zaheer, we're going to save her from the mercury, and we're going to make sure she lives through this! I don't care..." He stopped. She'd opened herself up to die. She'd willingly acted in a way that made it more likely. "I can do this. When we fight the next time, Suyin, you need to be close, to save her. Asami, you need to be there to incapacitate her. I've got a plan, okay? Just trust me. When she opens herself up to an attack- And she IS going to open herself up to an attack- take the shot, and knock her out. She's only going to be thinking about me." He grinned to himself. "That'll make a change..." He leaned back on the bed, and put his hand on his head. "Anyway. I'm going to get a nap. Let me know when we all have to risk our lives again."

He closed his eyes. There was a soft rustle, as people left. He opened his eyes. Asami was still sitting next to him, staring at him. "Asami, you should get some rest too. I'm going to be fine, you know?"

"...She'd want to live in a world with you in it, Bolin." Bolin swallowed, and looked away. "If Korra took your life-"

"Come on, Asami. I'm better than that." He lied. "I'm going to get her blood boiling, mock her, get her pissed, and then when she makes the strike, I'll avoid it, you'll get her, she'll be safe." He lied. "We're all getting a happy ending out of this." He lied. He was good at lying, sometimes. She didn't seem to be able to tell.

She bent forward, and kissed him gently on the forehead. Her lips were so soft. They melted against his skin like sugar floss, becoming wet and warm. The smell of her hair was like early mornings in the city gardens when he had been a child. He remembered so many warm, sunny days, when it had seemed like the entire world was nothing but good things. He felt the heat, the rage, building up inside of him. He forced it back. He reached up a hand to push her away, and she took it, interlacing their fingers together. "I don't want a world without you in it either, Bolin." He looked up at her, and looked away. Those shining green eyes made his heart ache, and the fires inside of him burned so hard, he was worried they might boil over. 

"I'll be fine." He lied. She nodded softly, and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his for a moment. Then, she stood up, and walked out of the room. Every time he fought Korra, she fled at the first opportunity. Her first priority was to not hurt her friends, while causing as much destruction as he possibly could. She taunted him, in the hopes that he would try to take a killing blow against her when she gave the opportunity to him. The thought was frightening. He could do the same. If there was one thing he was good at, it was enraging opponents with flippant remarks. It was the consequences that were frightening. But if it meant giving everyone a happy ending... He took a deep breath. He'd have to do it. That was the kind of things that heroes did. it was worth it for them. And it was the kind of ending he deserved. For the jealousy. For the anger. For the-

The door slid open.

Opal stood in the doorway, framed by the light, wearing her air bender robes. He sat up, eyes widening. Then he felt guilty. "You're okay." He said softly, looking down. "I'm sorry that I didn't come to see you, but... After the cavern..." She smiled softly, That warm, pretty smile. The girl stepped over towards him, and sat down next to him, taking a seat with graceful elegance. One leg crossed over the other, as the lights flickered. The ship was travelling over mountain ranges, peaks visible among a sea of clouds. It was easier to stare out the window than to make eye contact with her. "I'm sorry I ran off without talking to you."

"It's okay. You've never been great at talking with women, right? But... I knew that you had something more important that you had to do. You're a good man, Bolin." The words hurt him deep inside, and he flinched, closing his eyes tightly. "I know you're hard pressed to believe it, that you have to rely on bluster and bravado because you don't think you have anything else, but-" 

"I'm not a good person. I'm really not. I don't think anyone who's able to bend lava and who isn't an Avatar is a good person. It's- It's all anger. You know? It's anger and rage and all of these feelings that feel like they're burning up in me, and I used to be hilarious! I was just a clown, and I could laugh, and make everyone else laugh, and it was all that was really important, bringing a smile to people's faces! People weren't depending on me for their lives, they were just happy to have me around! And I've got this power, which is simultaneously the only thing that can reliably kill Korra, someone who is one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and also makes me feel like a complete psychopath every time I use it, because I have to get filled with-"

Opal's soft, cool hand rested on his. "Bolin. I haven't known you for a long time. But you literally do not have an angry bone in your body. Two weeks ago, you were crying about pythonacondas." 

Bolin sniffled, rubbing his nose with his free hand. "They don't have any arms."

Opal giggled softly, and smiled. "Bolin, you are not some raging berserker, or a killer. You never have been, and I don't think it's in your nature to be that way. You are a big, silly sweetheart, and you're a hero. You're not some monster. And you certainly aren't a bad person. I think that you take the weight of the world on your shoulders, and that's more than you have to." She leaned forward, and hugged him. She was soft, and light, and as she leaned back, he looked down.

"I saw the way you looked at me, when you saw me lavabending. You looked terrified, I must have looked like some kind of lunatic!"

Opal smiled. "I was shocked. I saw the way you were looking at Korra." Her smile became a little thinner, a little weaker. "The Air Nomad philosophy is a kind of interesting one. It covers a lot of life. You have to know the flow, and follow it. I like you, Bolin, but I think there's something a lot more serious that you have to get over. You weren't angry when you looked at Korra. You were in love."

"That's... Come on. That's ridiculous! She turned me down the first time we ever met. We haven't been anything like a thing for years. She's my friend. Nothing else."

Opal ruffled his hair. "Bolin, what do you think about when you are using your lavabending?" She smiled again, that slightly sad little smile.

"I... Korra, okay, but that's because- She's got so much potential in front of her, and it's all being taken away-"

"And?"

"Asami... And the two of them together. But that's because I'm jealous! I'm an asshole, and I don't know what I want, and that makes me angry-"

"Yes, which is why you're ready to die to save them, and why you get that little moony look every time you're thinking about them, and why you look so goofy when you're lavabending."

"I..." He flushed. "I thought I looked fierce." He protested, his voice quite soft. 

Opal smiled softly. "You're not a killer. You're not an angry person, Bolin. You're too full of love for that. Don't forget that, okay? And..." She looked away, smiling. "Even if you're not necessarily going to fall in love with me. You deserve to have someone. Remember that, alright? You deserve to be treated like a hero." She stood up, and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://tymmsoul.tumblr.com/post/135622519257/this-illustration-was-done-as-part-of-lok-big-bang As a special part of this being part of the LoK Big Bang 2015, Tymmsoul was kind enough to illustrate the cistern sequence from this chapter, and a soft, quiet moment between Bolin and Korra.


	3. Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chess is a game of sacrifices. Victory is what matters. Whatever pieces you may discard, even if it's the queen, it doesn't matter so long as you win.

Chapter 3: Mate

They arrived sixty seconds after the Red Lotus. Their engines redlining under the strain, smoke bursting from the airship's cabin, its envelope ruptured. The airbenders and metalbenders flew off. Mako leapt off with Tenzin to handle the waterbender. Zaheer and the airbenders warred in the sky as metalbenders tried to drag him down to ground. And in the middle of the chaos was Korra. 

Bolin had heard about Avatar Aang's first time using the Avatar State. Fusing with the spirit of the ocean, he had waded into a fleet and ruined it. Korra was using the same trick. A massive fish-like shape was wading through the city, tearing through the river. It loped along, bestial and heavy on all fours, towards the presidential manor. A biplane fluttered towards it, and it raised a single massive hand, water tearing through the air like a colossal hose. It ripped the wing off the biplane, sending the doomed plane in a downward spiral, but ignored the opening chute as the pilot bailed out. In its middle, Korra was visible. She was hunched over, her head drooping, but the glow from her eyes was like a welding torch, ferocious and blinding.

He leapt out of the airship, and bent a huge spire of earth up to meet his feet in mid-air. Asami was clinging to his back. The fish was lurching up out of the water, onto the long drag up to the presidential manor. He landed on the pillar of earth, windmilling his arms for a moment to keep his balance. His feet ached, but Suyin had insisted it was necessary. Asami cried out, "KORRA!" The gigantic watery monster turned, slowly, to face the two of them, standing there on that spire, level with Korra. Her eyes were like a pair of ghastly spotlights, her mouth opening for a moment, the light flooding out of it. Then she turned back to the presidential manor. Bolin took a deep breath, and then dropped Asami. The girl squawked, but the plate of stone carried her away from him, towards the nearby roof. There was a way down from there. She would be at a safe distance from him, while still being close enough to stop Korra when her chance arose. Suyin was waiting on the same rooftop. He stared at Korra. He thought of that moment when the two of them had been eating noodles. Watching her belch. The two of them, laughing in delight, when he'd still had a delusion of having a chance with her.

He dug both hands into the air, and swept them forward. The avenue, thirty meters across, half a kilometer away, cracked. A huge spire of magma erupted from the center, and tore open in both directions, as though two gigantic hands had scooped away the road and revealed the bleeding heart. It was all Bolin could do not to laugh. It wasn't anger. He really did still love her. He was an idiot. But right now, he was a useful idiot. He looked at the houses. They should be evacuated by now. He really, really prayed they were evacuated. He thought of the moment that he and Mako had been cornered by Hiroshi Sato. That terrifying moment when Asami had taken the glove from her father willingly. And then just how beautiful she looked, sad and certain, when she saved their lives from her own father.

Fire erupted from beneath the buildings. They fell, consumed by a pit of lava beneath them. It rushed out onto the river, solidifying into black obsidian. Steam rose and whipped in the air, with a sound like a dying animal. On three sides, lava assaulted the massive creature, steam rising off of it as it shrank. Korra lashed out like a wounded animal, turning the lava into stone, and Bolin turned it right back. "You were right, Korra!" He yelled, at the top of his lungs. "I really did love you once! But you fixed that!" He kicked downwards. The spire tilted, and thrust out, launching him on a ballistic arc, aiming for the obsidian in the river. It crunched loudly, shattering under his impact, softening his landing, as he rolled and returned to his feet, staring up at her. He could feel a piece of obsidian sticking into his foot, dozens of small shards piercing his back. He bent them out, not letting it show how much it stung. The watery creature was still terrifyingly strong. It loomed over him. "I don't think I could ever love you now." He lied. She let out a shriek of outrage, and swung a single hand down. The massive watery paw came down like the fist of god. He thought of her smiling at him. The bravery on her face. She was such a wonderful person. Not the most canny about when she was being played for a fool, but amazing, and strong, and beautiful. He was going to save her. She was going to live happily ever after.

He launched an uppercut, and then kicked forward. Magma surged forward, engulfing the paw, and launching in a ballistic arc over Korra. It splashed down into the molten pit, as she recoiled. This allowed the second wave to undercut her. It sweeped forward like a wave, cutting the legs out from under the massive watery creature. It collapsed forward. The lava froze into stone as the massive watery shape evaporated, leaving Korra on the ground. She growled, panting, and turned to flee. "It's not because you went all eeeevil. That could actually be kind of sexy on a straight-laced girl like you. It's because you're getting beat up by someone like me." She turned towards him, murder in her eyes. So kind, so strong, so brave, but so damn arrogant, sometimes. He grinned. "Seriously. Laughing, grinning Bolin. You can't even handle me anymore? I guess the Avatar really has lost her touch."

She stamped her foot down. The platinum cable was still wrapped around it. Rock and obsidian shattered, raising into the air in a glittering cloud of sharp-edged death. She swept her arm forward, and volcanic glass launched at him, sharp as knives. He stood, unafraid, and took a low stance. The rock shattered into powder as it struck him. It scraped and gave him a few minor cuts and gashes, but the way her eyes widened brought a grin to his face. "Come on, Korra. That the best you've got? Now I'm a stronger earthbender than the Avatar in the full bloom of power?" He gave his best pro bending sneer. "This is just sad. I don't think I'm even going to bother." He turned away from her. "Run away if you like, little girl." He wasn't wearing any shoes.

He felt the impact of her feet as she launched herself at him. Without looking, he shifted. She was aiming a straight jab for his kidneys, followed by a swinging blow at the back of his head. He raised one arm behind his head, catching her wrist on his. With his other hand, he caught the sledgehammer blow on his palm before it left him peeing blood for the rest of his short life. He smelled the crackle of electricity, and could feel the way she waved her arms through the air in a pinwheel movement. He swayed to the side, as he bent the earth underneath her foot, sending her strike off. The ferocious torrent of electricity whipped through the air, lighting up the river. That was it. She was well and truly pissed. 

There are many great lessons on enraging the Avatar beyond the point of return. It was actually a very easy thing to do. The Avatars were all human beings, after all. Spiritually gifted, they were nonetheless people. You could threaten their loved ones. You could betray them. You could insult their friendship. You could make them feel hated. The real trick was surviving their wrath. Luckily for Bolin, he wasn't concerned with that part. He grinned. "I'm not even looking at you, Avatar. What happened? Even with the mercury, even being merciful, you should be a better fighter than this. I shouldn't stand a chance!" She swayed on her feet, and a burst of winter air warned him about the spray of icicles, sharp enough to kill, from a distance of five feet. He thought of Asami and Korra's future. It was so bright. They were going to be fine. He just knew it. A thin pillar of magma rose behind him, its ferocious heat turning the ice into a spray of refreshingly cold water. "And now, you can't even kill me with my back turned!" 

He turned to face her, doing his best not to show the pain on his face. He hated saying this about her. She was delicate, he knew. The things people said bothered her so much. She wanted to be great, and she depended on others to tell her that she was doing a good job. It hurt so much to say these things to her. Tears were running down her cheeks. She was beyond words now, an incoherent force of rage. She ran at him. Her hands crackled with lightning. It was a clumsy, easy attack to avoid. He tensed, as though preparing to leap away. She reached out for him. And he grabbed her in a bear hug, his hand cinching around his wrist, and squeezing her tight. 

The electricity hurt like hell. Every muscle in his body went stiff, which tightened his bear hug into an unbreakable grip. Electricity surged through both of them, but the Avatar could redirect it in a way that he could not. His arms cinched tighter, and he felt a rib cracking. His face was pressed against her chest. It was an embarrassing thought, but it was a happy way for him to go out. "NnnnzonNOW assaassami!" His voice shook, lungs spasming violently. There was a single lightning-crack, and Korra went limp in his arms, the glow fading from her eyes. A sound he had grown so used to that it had become utterly commonplace wasn't there anymore. His heart wasn't beating. "I'm so proud of you." He murmured, softly enough that only Korra and Asami could probably hear it. "I didn't mean a word of it. You're the best two people I've ever known. I'm so glad." Suyin was approaching. Korra was going to be fine. Asami would get her happy ending. He really did love them so much.

"I love you, Korra." Bolin died with a smile on his face, and fell into the soft, embracing darkness. 

 

 

Light and pain filled his world. He lay for several seconds, head throbbing. Light and pain filled it again, as he arched his back, limbs going rigid. He felt his lungs gasping in air. It stung, full of steam, making his throat hurt. "You promised me, Bolin! You lying bastard, you're not going to get away with this!" Light and pain struck him again. He arched his back, nails dragging in the dirt. It hurt more than anything. He was in hell. Clearly Lightning Bolt Zolt had sold him out to the afterlife, and he was now experiencing the unspeakable torments reserved for the damned who had lusted after girls out of their class. "Wake UP, Bolin!" Light and pain once more. And with them, that sound that had been missing from his life. His heart was beating. He was alive. Something wet was falling on his face. Asami was bent over him, tears running down her cheeks, falling onto his face.

"what... what's the matter?" He coughed weakly, raising a hand to fend off the lightning glove as she lowered it towards his chest again. His shirt was torn open. "Asami, why are you crying? What happened to Korra?" His voice regained some strength, as he tried to sit up. His muscles failed to respond. He wiggled his toes, and they responded. He wasn't paralyzed, and for that he thanked god. He wasn't dead. Why the hell wasn't he dead? This question gained a renewed urgency after Asami slapped him, making his ears ring and his cheek hurt. 

"She's fine! Suyin's nearly got all of the mercury out of her, she's going to be alright. It'll be a bit touch and go, but she's going to live. But you promised me you weren't going to die! Do you think that anyone would be happy if you sacrificed yourself, you stupid... Stupid..." She sniffled, rubbing the tears out of her eyes, sobbing a bit. And she was smiling. She looked so beautiful. And Bolin faced the future. He was alive. He hadn't even managed to die heroically. That was going to be an embarrassing story to tell. And now, here he was, looking at an entire lifetime where the two women he cared about most in the world were utterly, deliriously in love with one another. 

Death seemed suddenly tempting. "Go over to her, I'm gonna be fine." he grumbled, rubbing his head, as he managed, with some effort, to pull himself up to a sitting position. Korra was lying, unconscious, on the ground. A large ball of mercury hovered over her body, as Suyin drained the toxic liquid from her. Lin was sitting beside her. The two of them were going to fix her. Katara was there, too, her famous healing water keeping the Avatar alive. Bolin smiled. Then he fell into unconsciousness.

When he woke up again, he was in a hospital room. Korra was in the next bed over, her eyes closed. She was sleeping. Mako was sitting by his bed, and Asami by Korra's. He couldn't help but grin. The smile hurt, badly. "Hey, bro." The hospital room was beautiful, a pair of oak beds sitting close to one another, with chairs by the side. Bright sunshine flooded the room from outside. The smell of cherry petals was in the air. It was the spring blossoming. New love. There was a thought that was going to drive him insane.

Republic city was recovering. It had been bad. A lot of people hurt, some dead. Thankfully, not many, and none by the Avatar's hand. The Crimson Lotus had done a lot of damage before they'd been brought down. The lavabender had taken his own life trying to take out Mako and Lin. The waterbender had been electrocuted when she tried to use the river to kill everyone. And Zaheer had been imprisoned again. Korra was going to be alright. Even Pabu was fine, though Mako had been forced to smuggle him in past the orderlies, who clearly were concerned that he would be a problem. "Pabu! Little buddy! You were a big help on this whole big hero thing." Bolin scolded. The cheerful little creature cleaned his cheeks with his paws. "Oh, I suppose that knowing you were safe at home gave me the strength to keep going." Pabu flicked his tail. 

"We're rebuilding things. Korra's going to be in rough shape for a while. The Airbenders are getting ready to put together a program to help ensure spiritual balance and protect the world while she recovers. That mercury did a real number on her. But she's going to be okay. You did it, bro. Everyone's talking about you." He took out a newspaper. Emblazoned on the front was Bolin's picture. He'd always wanted his name in the papers. He'd always liked the attention. But reading the article, praising him for stopping and saving the Avatar, it all felt hollow. He gave a weak little smile up at Mako. His brother grinned back. "So, what now, bro? Pro-bending's starting again soon. I might be able to ask the chief for a brief leave of absence to get my skills up to par. And there's definitely room for you on the police force, if you want to join up. Or you could become a part of the Airbender task force, or something like that. Everyone in the United Republic is talking about " 

Bolin rubbed his head. "Ah. Actually, I think I might get away from everyone for a while. You know? Walk the earth for a while. See the world. Get out of the big city and really explore." Get away from those two so I'm not thinking about them constantly. "I know you're attached to Bei Fong by the hip, of course. You guys finally going to tie the knot?" He gave his brother a grin, and Mako sputtered. The two brothers broke into laughter, and Asami grinned quietly in her chair, gently brushing a wet sponge over Korra's forehead.

Bolin struggled out of his bed. Mako moved to push him back in, but he waved an arm. "Come on, let's go to the cafeteria. I'm starving." He grinned at his brother, and stumbled out of the room, Mako sliding an arm under his shoulder to help him along. He didn't make eye contact with Asami as they left. He didn't think he could stand it. As the two of them walked through the cool, windy corridors of the hospital, he sighed. "Women. If they're not breaking your heart, they're breaking your ribs, right?"

Mako laughed softly. "Yeah. Those two are an incredible pair, huh? Wish I hadn't been so much of a screwup." He rubbed his head, looking embarrassed. "So, do you think that, uh, Bei Fong might actually be-?" He caught Bolin's open-mouthed stare. "Oh. Uh. You were joking. Of course you were joking, I mean-"

Bolin shook his head. "Well. You are obsessed with policework. So she might be the only woman who could ever tolerate you. And she does have a certain... charm." He grinned. Mako was bright red. "Hey, I won't judge you. Not to your face, anyway. You deserve a little happiness. Besides, living with her might give you an idea of what it's like to live with you." He laughed, and the two of them laughed together as they entered the cafeteria. Bolin flopped down into a chair, while Mako went to the counter, picking up a couple of steaming trays. He returned with them, setting down a couple of bowls of thin noodles in a weak chicken broth. "Ugh." Bolin groaned. "You couldn't have snuck in with some of my favorites?"

"I'm pretty sure that giving yourself a hernia by overeating would be bad for your recovery, bro. So... Asami and you seemed really-"

"She's in love with Korra. And I think Korra's in love with her too. They're a good couple. They're going to be the kind of romance that people write sagas about, you know? Happy sagas, hopefully. The story of the Avatar and the Heiress." Bolin grinned through the ache in his chest and his cheeks. He kept smiling, even when it hurt, because just because he was hurting didn't mean anyone else had to. "I can't wait to hear it. But no, there's nothing between me and Asami. Friends, you know? Working together to save someone we both care about."

"Then Korra-"

"Come on, bro. I haven't felt that way about Korra since- You know." The kiss. He'd always known it wouldn't work out, from that moment onwards. They were friends, he and Korra. That was enough. He told himself that was enough, no matter how much it cut at his heart. Mako sighed, and leaned back, his feet lifting onto the table. Bolin braced himself for a bit of brotherly wisdom.

"If you ask me-"

"No one did."

"Someone who's not in love with Asami or Korra wouldn't have booked it like that. Someone who's not in love would want to stay behind, to make sure that Korra's safe. I mean, you cared about her enough to nearly get yourself killed- And I'm going to be laying a smackdown on you for that little stunt the moment you're healed- So how could you not care enough to stay where you can be close to her? Unless, of course, you're just hurting so much that you can't stand to be close to her, because you're still in love with either or both of them, and would be constantly reminded of the fact that you can't have either of them."

Bolin stared at his brother. "You couldn't manage to keep in a relationship with Korra for six months. How in the name of god could you possibly be this perceptive?! This is some kind of superpower, isn't it? You're ultra-aware, but only when it would result in the most intense possible humiliation for me?" He said, narrowing his eyes as he kept slurping his soup. "And... Yeah, so maybe I DO love them! But-" Mako's eyes opened wide. Bolin turned around. Opal was standing at the entrance. Bolin swallowed, hard, but Opal was smiling. She approached the two of them. 

"Hello, Bolin, Mako. I'm so glad to see you're alright." She hugged him around the shoulders. No kiss. That was probably fair, after what he'd said. She smiled softly. "I just thought you two might like to know, Korra's woken up. Everyone's getting together to see her. She's feeling a lot better than she had before." Mako looked up, surprised, and grinned. "She asked about you, Bolin. I think she really wants to talk to you."

Bolin gave his best fake smile, grinning cheerily. "Oh, she's not going anywhere. I'm going to finish up my soup quick. Don't want to admit to her how I insulted her and nearly forced her to kill me on an empty stomach, she's probably going to be pissed off beyond words at me." He laughed nervously. The nervousness was genuine. "So, uh, how mobile is she? Like, can she kick? Or yell?" it was so easy to play the coward. It came naturally to him. Opal smiled.

"I think it's not about that. I think she wants to thank you. She was really worried when you weren't there." Mako stood up. Bolin waved a hand.

"Like I said, going to finish my soup first, give her parents and everyone else a chance to see her, first. I'll be right up after you guys! Ten minutes, tops." He grinned, giving them his best smile. He sat down to his bowl, as the two of them gave him a dubious look, and then stood up, leaving. He gobbled down his soup, and then stood up, checking around himself surreptitiously. He'd head down to the docks. Sign up for a tramp freighter, heading to the fire kingdom, somewhere where he could lose himself. He'd go around, doing good things. He'd read about Fire Lord Zuko, and his time being a wandering hero. It was a fun idea. He'd travel through the four nations. No connections. Forget about his past, ignore the future, and live in the present, making things better. He'd do great things, and nobody would remember him as anything except the wandering hero. Yeah. That was the ticket. He stumbled a bit as he walked, and recovered his gait fluidly. He felt his spirits lifting already. Korra and Asami had each other. They'd be fine. There wouldn't be a world without him. They'd know he was out there, somewhere. And if anything ever threatened them, he'd be able to come back, just long enough to be the hero again. He felt his spirits growing higher, his stride growing surer. He checked the door out of the cafeteria, and snuck into the staircase. He was down on the first floor in no time. He walked through the lobby confidently, swaggering like he owned the place, leaving out the back door.

The garden was beautiful. Not many people used it, and at this time of day, it was empty. The cherry trees were in full blossom. Each time the wind blew through them, petals danced and fell across him. They were soft and smelled sweet. He thought of Asami for a moment, and his steps faltered. He thought of the bright future, and he grew confident again. Everything was going to be okay. Who knows? Maybe he'd meet someone out there. Someone who wouldn't know about the feelings that lurked inside of him. The love inside of him that burned him, that scorched his insides like he'd taken a hot mouthful of molten stone. Nobody would ever have to know about that. He smiled up at the sun, as it shone through the petals. "Bolin!"

He froze. It was Asami's voice. It was growing louder. He broke into a run. He had to get out of here. There was a bright future waiting for him. He was going to be a hero. He couldn't do that here. He couldn't do it around her. He could do it for her. He could be better, where he could never embarrass himself in front of them, or be a failure in front of them, or- "Bolin!"

Korra. It was reedy, but unmistakeable. He stopped, and turned. Korra and Asami were there. Korra had her arm over Asami's shoulder, a crutch under her other arm. Korra stood in her hospital robes, the white linen wrapped around her body. Bags hung under her eyes. Her hair was messy and stuck out like a scarecrow's straw. Her cheeks were hollow. She looked so weak. And her skin was the color of molten chocolate, her blue eyes shining like sapphires, her expression angry and terribly beautiful. Asami had skin like cream, her eyes a pair of glittering emeralds, so much brighter and more expressive than Bolin's own tawdry olive. Her lips were painted red, and drawn into a furious frown. He gave his best smile as they approached. "Hey, guys! Sorry, I was just going out for a walk, didn't want to interrupt everyone congratulating the Avatar on being awake!" He gave a bright grin. Then he turned his expression on Korra, tsking. "And you, young lady, are recovering from a nasty injury. You really should be back in bed! Imagine what your dad would do to me if he knew you were around coming to see me."

Korra's gaze didn't flicker. Even weakened by the mercury, her resolve was strong. "Bolin. I remember it. I remember everything that happened while I was under the mercury. It's like a nightmare, but..." She shuddered, and Asami rested a hand on her side. "You were just going to leave? Without seeing me?"

Bolin laughed nervously. "Ah, come on. What gave you that idea? I'm just out, enjoying the nice day!" Korra and Asami narrowed their eyes at him. "W-Who gave you a crazy idea like that?"

"Opal. And Mako. They said you were watching the exits." Bolin gritted his teeth. The interfering punk. What the hell right did he have to screw around in Bolin's love life? As though he didn't already have enough troubles in his own life. "Bolin. I heard what you said, when you were falling. Why didn't you tell me that you were still in love with me?"

His throat went dry. He choked a bit on his words. "I... You're my friend, Korra. Of course I love you! Just- Not in that way. I know it wouldn't work out. We were never compatible, it's cool, there are a lot of ways-" 

Asami stepped forward. "And you don't feel anything like that for me? After the time we spent together? You thought you could just die, and get away from it all? Do you know how that would feel?" He gritted his teeth. He felt like a caged animal. There was no escape from them. Didn't they understand it? How it hurt to see them together? How it hurt for that to hurt? What a bastard he felt like, for being jealous that they were going to be happy, and it was going to be without him, and he was completely unnecessary-

"Why are you leaving, Bolin?" Korra asked, her voice soft. "I still need you." Her voice was gentle, as the two of them approached him.

"Because you'll never feel about me the way I feel about you! Because every second I'm around you two, I'm going to be resenting you, and because I really do love you! Asami, you are the most generous, beautiful, intelligent, loyal person I have ever met! You believed in me, you believed in Korra, when nobody else would! You have sacrificed more for the people you love than literally any other person I have ever met! And Korra, you are the strongest, sexiest, cleverest, and bravest person that it has ever been my privilege to know! And the two of you are going to live a long and happy life together, and every second I spend around you is going to remind me that I'm never going to be a part of it in the way I wanted! I-"

"Bolin, you saved me-"

"Not to be loved by you! I didn't do it for some sort of reward, and we both know that's not the way it works! It doesn't matter what I do, when you don't feel that way about me! I did it because I love you, both of you, and it doesn't matter!" He gritted his teeth, holding back the tears. He wasn't going to ruin this by being a joke. He couldn't do that. He had to be firm. "You two don't need me anymore! So I'm going to go, because if I stayed, then the love I feel for you two would become something poisonous, because it's never going to be reciprocated-" Korra took two firm steps towards him. He braced himself for the slap. Her arms went around him. She kissed him. Her lips were sweet as cherries. Her arms were weak, and she shook slightly, but she held him. The kiss was everything he had ever hoped it was. He could feel the warmth of her body against his, the soft sound of his heart beating, and her heart beating. The kiss held for several long seconds, before she broke it, stepping back

Then Asami kissed him. It was a different kiss. The avatar was a little clumsy, a little rough, even weakened as she was. Asami was graceful, delicate, and unfailingly feminine. Neither one was better than the other, but both of them took his breath away. The tacky feeling of the lipstick pressed their lips together, as the smell of flowers surrounded him. His head spun, and when the kiss ended, he stared at the two of them. "But-"

"Bolin. You saved my life. You could have killed me, but you believed in me. You stood up to me, and you nearly died making sure I'd live. And you did it without expecting anything in return. I know I hurt you, but can't you let me make up for a mistake? Do you really think you're not the kind of guy that I like?" Korra stared at him earnestly. He looked at Asami. She smiled. 

"I can't- I can't break you two up. I'm not worth it."

"I don't think we were suggesting that." Asami said, smiling wistfully. "You are a very kind person, Bolin. And a very strong one. I like that."

"But... You can't be serious." He said weakly.

"Do you love both of us?" Korra asked, firmly.

"But-"

"We both love you."

"I-!"

Korra growled. "Why can't you once just try to have something? Isn't it worth trying, at least? Isn't it better to try than just running away from this, again? Do you think that either of us could be happy together, knowing that we'd left you out in the cold? After all you've done, do you really think either of us are like that?"

The cherry blossoms fell from the trees, as the wind whipped through the air. The future seemed so clear. If he ran, he knew exactly what would happen. He would be free. He would go on to his bright future. He would forget about them. They'd forget about him. If he stayed, who knew what would happen? Maybe it would fail. Maybe he'd ruin something beautiful.

Maybe it would succeed. Maybe he could have a happy ending. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, and he brushed them away, trying to keep up his tough exterior. It was no good. He sobbed, and the sound that came out was undignified, all that loneliness that had been bubbling for so many long, painful years. He threw himself forward, his arms going around the two of them. He wasn't cool about it, like Mako. He wasn't elegant about it, like Asami. There was no confident sureness in his movements, like Korra. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders, and buried his face against their necks, sobbing inelegantly, as the two of them held him gently, their arms together. "It's okay." Asami whispered. "Let it out. It's alright."

The cherry blossoms fell. The future was terribly uncertain, but it always was. Whatever the future held for them, he wanted to be by their side when it happened. And so, the three of them walked back, together.


End file.
